Qantas is facing industrial action from its maintenance engineers, after a postal ballot of Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) members saw 80 per cent vote in favour of overtime-bans and complete work stoppages.
“We’re obviously very pleased at the outcome of the vote and Qantas should take very careful note of it,” ALAEA spokesman Peter Somerville told The Australian.
”We’ve had more than six months of negotiations and without Qantas engaging with our major issues, which are job security and the future of Qantas maintenance in Australia.”.
The ALAEA is seeking a three per cent annual pay rise over three years, new classification levels, that Qantas A380 and Boeing 787 heavy maintenance be performed in Australia, and guarantees that subcontractors be paid no less than Qantas engineers.
The ALAEA has up to two months within which to conduct industrial action, which could range up to two-day strikes, but has ruled out any action over the Easter break. It has to give Qantas 72 hours’ notice of any industrial action.
